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falsificationism  

Definition

  • Falsificationism is a philosophy of science, also known as critical rationalism, that uses the logic of deduction to provide the foundation for the HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVE method. It was developed in the 1930s by Karl Popper (1959) to deal with the deficiencies of POSITIVISM. The positivist position is rejected in favor of a different logic of explanation based on a critical method of trial and error in which theories are tested against “reality.” Falsificationism shares some aspects of positivism’s ONTOLOGY but rejects its EPISTEMOLOGY. It adopts the position that the natural and social sciences differ in their content but not in the logical form of their methods. [Source: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods; Falsificationism]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/falsificationism

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